One day after qualifying for Le Mans
Loeb back in the Pescarolo-Judd

Despite being tired - who wouldn`t be after such a busy Sunday (winning the Rally of Turkey and then driving at Le Mans the
same day) - Sebastien Loeb talked to us about his day, a moment that will have its own page in the motorsport history
books. On Monday morning, Sebastien explained the events of the past few days.
How do you feel this morning (Monday)?
"I`m fine. But we went out last night and this morning we got up early once again. A good night of sleep would be welcome."
How was the ambiance in the plane going to Le Mans?
"Everybody was stressed out, the journalists, the supporting crew... but not Séverine and me! During the flight, I prepared
myself on my Playstation. The stress was a bit higher when I saw raindrops on the portholes..."
And when you landed at Le Mans?
"It was total panic! The guy that was driving us to the track was really stressed out! I immediately jumped into the car
once we arrived in the pits. Everything happened in a hurry. That`s unfortunate but we could hardly have done anything
differently. The most important is that I completed the ten mandatory laps and learned the track."
Your impressions at the wheel ?
"Since there was still of few raindrops falling, learning the track was not easy. It`s a bit stressful because it is very
fast. The car was not reacting like usual. On top of that I couldn`t go back to the pits to put rain tyres, having to do a
minimum of 10 laps with very little time left. It was tricky because it was out of the question to go "slowly" because if
the tyres lose temperature, there is no grip. With more than 600 horsepower to the rear wheels, it`s very, very tricky. If
the wheels spin, it goes into oversteer and once it is like that, you cannot catch it! Today`s good news is that I managed
to bring the car back to the pits in one piece (laughs)!
Looking back, I know that I didn`t do well in the corners. Despite that, I am about ten seconds from my team-mates. Taking
into account the track`s conditions and the general context, it is pretty encouraging. I also could feel the car`s
reactions on slicks, in the rain: it`s a good experience. But I will have to wait until Le Mans week to find the right pace on this circuit."
How do you respond to the huge interest surrounding your participation to this race?
"It`s nice. I didn`t expect to see so many people on Sunday evening! To see so many journalists and fans is incredible and
of course very enjoyable. During my last two laps, all the stewards were on the track to wave at me!"
Four consecutive wins in rally, your qualification for the 24 Hours of Le Mans... you decided to break all the records this
year?
Are you going to win six consecutive rallies?
"Why not, that`s a good idea (laughs)! But in fact we cannot get six victories: in Greece would be the fifth but since
Solberg said at the beginning of the year that he wants to win 10... he has no choice: he must win them all now (laughs)!"
What is your programme for this week?
"Testing in Spain to prepare for Argentina. But I can`t wait to be at Le Mans!"

Thierry PIRKELBAUER / Hugo GIGUERE

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